Apparatus for building blocks of rod-shaped articles



B. SCHUBERT 1 APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF KGB-SHAPED ARTICLES May 20, 1969 ors Sheet Filed June 22, 1966 Fig.1

In venlor:

May 20, 1969 B. SCHUBERT 3,444,981

APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed June 22, 1966 Sheet 2 of 9 86 96 HA. 9 74 f v 730 F TTIN Z 13 775 In ventor: Bernhard Schubert lma 69,

his Allorney B. SCHUBERT I 3,444,981

APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS 0F ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES May 20, 1969 Sheet 3 of 9 Filed June 22, 1966 In v en for: Bernhard Schubert b his AHorney May 20, 1969 Filed June 22, 1966 B. SCHUBERT Sheet APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES In venlor: Bemhard Schuberi y 1939 B. SCHUBERT 3,444,981

APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed June 22, 1966 Sheet 5 of 9 i In ventor:

Bernhard Schubert his AHorney Sheet of 9 In ven tor Bernhard Schubert y u," 1. z \/I- his Atto y B. SCHUBERT APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed June 22, 1966 E w m m .l If. .l..L wmmmm Em mm A 11 I n q A C; ,m u m H m d 0 H H m V M 2 w W ll 1| I II 6 k a f \Z 2 2 (J f m. 5 m 4I\ \1 F 8 5 mm 4 r. a 2 w m x w a v w w m z W m 6 .g 1 F #3) F y 0, 1969 B. SCHUBERT 3,444,981

APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed June 22, 1966 Sheet Z or 9 CUMADXSEQSOR F ig.27 Ma -8x 3 4 E A 17a j I AH orney y 20, 1969 B. SCHUBERT, 3,444,981

APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed June 22, 1966 Sheet 8 of 9 Inventor: Bernhard Schubert hi5 Attorney May 20,1969 H BERT 3,444,981

APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed June 22,1966 Sheet 9 M9 Fig.32

x u L y v z w Inventor.-

Bernhard Sdmbert United States Patent O 3,444,981 APPARATUS FOR BUILDING BLOCKS F ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES Bernhard Schubert, Hamburg-Lohbruegge, Germany, as-

signor to Hauni-Werke Koerber & Co. K.G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany Filed June 22, 1966, Ser. No. 559,538 Claims priority, application Germany, June 23, 1965,

Im. 01. B65g 47/28,- B65b 19/04 U.S. Cl. 19831 40 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Blocks consisting of stacked rows of cigarettes are formed in an apparatus which assembles successive layers of cigarettes and comprises means for breaking up such layers into shorter rows and for stacking such rows on top of each other to form several stacks which are introduced into the cells of storing devices.

The present invention relates to apparatus for building blocks of accurately arrayed cigarettes, filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or cheroots with or without filters, filter rods, filter mouthpieces and analogous rod-shaped articles. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for building blocks or superimposed rows of rod-shaped articles which are ready for immediate transfer into cigarette packs or like containers.

In a modern cigarette manufacturing and packaging plant, cigarettes issuing from one or more cigarette making machines are customarily stored in so-called trays and such trays are thereupon delivered to and discharge their contents into the magazines of packaging machines wherein the cigarettes are arrayed in blocks and are introduced into and sealed in packs consisting of one or more envelopes. A serious drawback of such conventional methods is that the cigarettes must be arrayed more than once, i.e., first in the trays and thereupon in the packaging machine prior to introduction into the packs. This involves much time and is likely to lead the escape of tobacco particles at the ends of cigarettes. Furthermore, the machinery which is utilized for transferring cigarettes into trays and for delivering filled trays to packaging machines is very complicated, prone to malfunction, and occupies too much room. In accordance with certain more recent proposal, for example, in the copending application Ser. No. 501,769 of Bardenhagen which is assigned to the same assignee, cigarettes issuing from one or more cigarette making machines are immediately delivered to a conveyor and are arrayed to form blocks of superimposed rows which are ready for introduction into a packaging machine. My present invention is concerned with improvements in such methods and apparatus and one of its important objects is to provide apparatus for rapidly arraying cigarettes issuing from one or more cigarettes makers in blocks of two or more superimposed rows without subjecting the cigarettes to any such treatment which could result in deformation or destruction of their wrappers, in escape of tobacco particles from their ends, and/or in misalignment of cigarettes prior to actual transfer into packs.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which, though especially suited for treatment of cigarettes or filter cigarettes, is equally useful in arraying of many other types of rod-shaped articles, particularly, cigars, cigarillos, cheroots, filter rods, simplex or miltiplex mouthpieces, and analogous products.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apapparatus of the above outlined characteristics wherein "ice the articles issuing from one or more producing machines can be arrayed and stacked in a small area, by resorting to relatively simple and compact parts, in a fully automatic way, and at a rate required in a modern mass-producing plant.

An additional object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus wherein two or more blocks of accurately arrayed rod-shaped articles may be assembled in a. simultaneous operation and which is capable of being combined with or incorporated in presently known producing and packaging or other processing machinery.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the block building apparatus with novel article conveying, collecting, transferring, receiving and advancing means and to provide a novel control system which can operate to various components of the apparatus in a desired sequence.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can be converted to form blocks containing different numbers of rod-shaped articles and which can form blocks containing one, two or more rows of articles.

An additional object of the instant invention is to provide a block building apparatus which can be installed in immediate proximity to and which can replace the customary magazines of packaging machines.

Briefly stated, one feature of my present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for assembling blocks consisting of stacked rows of cigarettes, filter cigarettes cigars, cigarillos and cheroots with or without filters, filter rods, filter mouthpieces or analogous rodshaped articles, preferably for assembling blocks which are ready for immediate transfer into cigarette packs or the like. The apparatus comprises means for forming successive layers of closely adjacent rod-shaped articles wherein the number of articles exceeds the combined number of articles in at least two rows, means for removing articles from each successively formed layer so as to convert such layers into groups of rows, and for stacking each row of a freshly formed group on top of a row of the preceding group to thus form blocks each of which contains at least two rows of rod-shaped articles.

In accordance with a more specific feature of the present invention, the layers are formed by advancing the articles sideways along a first predetermined path and by moving successive articles sideways from the first path into a second predetermined path wherein the thus transferred articles are closely adjacent and parallel to each other. The removing means preferably comprises means for ejecting selected surplus articles sideways from the second path and back into the first path so that the thus ejected articles can form part of the next-following layer.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved block building apparatus itself, however, 'both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pneumatic collector which is utilized to assemble predetermined numbers of rod-shaped articles into layers;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective transverse sectional view substantially as seen in the direction of arrows from the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a smaller-scale fragmentary top plan view of the pneumatic collector with a portion of its casing broken away;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the pneumatic collector, further showing a portion of the conveyor unit which supplies rod-shaped articles to the pockets of the collector;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a mechanism which is utilized to move the collector with refer ence to the conveyor unit and to stagger successively assembled groups of rows with reference to each other.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the collector in a position it assumes upon completed formation of a layer;

FIG. 7 is a transverse vertical section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line VII-VII of FIG. 6 and further illustrates a multiple-cell storing device which receives groups of rows from the pockets of the pneumatic collector as well as certain components of a transfer unit which is used to deliver groups of rows from the collector to the storing device;

FIG. 8 is a view which is somewhat similar to that of FIG. 6 but showing the collector in a position subsequent to removal of selected surplus articles from its pockets;

FIG. 9 is a transverse vertical section :as seen in the direction of arrows from the line IX-IX of FIG. 8 and illustrates the position of certain ejectors of the removing means for surplus articles upon completed removal of such articles from the layer carried by the pneumatic collector;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 6 or 8 but showing the removed articles on their way toward a stop which holds them during transfer of a freshly formed group of rows into the storing device;

FIG. 11 is a transverse vertical section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XI-XI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view smaller to that of FIG. 6, 8 or 10 but showing the collector subsequent to conversion of a layer into a group of rows containing fewer articles than the rows shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a transverse vertical section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 12 but showing the transfer unit during delivery of articles from the pockets of the collector to the storing device;

FIG. 15 is a transverse vertical section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XVXV of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 illustrates the mechanism Which raises and lowers the collector in a position corresponding to the position of the collector as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 17 illustrates the mechanism in a position corresponding to the position of the collector as shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 18 illustrates the mechanism in a position corresponding to the position of the collector as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 19 illustrates the mechanism in a position corresponding to the position of the collector as shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 20 illustrates the mechanism in a position corresponding to the position of the collector as shown in FIG .12;

FIG. 21 illustrates the mechanism in a position corresponding to the position of the collector as shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 22 is :a front elevational view of a-multi-cell storing device which is utilized in the apparatus of FIGS. 1-21;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section through the storing device as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XXIII-XXIII of FIG. 22, further showing a pinion which forms part of the advancing means for moving the storing device in stepwise fashion subsequent to transfer of successive groups of rows of rodshaped articles;

FIG. 24 is a vertical section as seen in the direction of 4 arrows from the line XXIVXXIV of FIG. 23 and illustrates certain additional components of the advancing means;

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the control system of the block building apparatus;

FIG. 26 is a transverse vertical section through a modified pneumatic collector wherein the surplus articles are expelled by removing means including pneumatic ejectors;

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XXVII-XXVII of FIG. 26 and illustrates certain details of two pneumatic ejectors;

FIG. 28 illustrates the structure of FIG. 26 but with the pneumatic ejectors in operative positions;

FIG. 29 is a side elevational view of a modified advancing unit which can be utilized in the improved block building apparatus to move the storing devices in stepwise fashion;

FIG. 30 is an end elevational view substantially as seen in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a section as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XXXIXXXI of FIG. 29; and

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing in developed view the groove of a cam which forms part of the modified advancing unit.

In the following detailed description of several embodiments of my block forming apparatus, the rodshaped articles will be referred to as cigarettes or filter cigarettes and all embodiments of the apparatus which are actually shown in the drawings are constructed and assembled with a view to form relatively complicated blocks of twenty filter cigarettes each wherein each block comprises two outer rows of seven cigarettes each and a median row of six cigarettes in an array which is customary in cigarette packs. However, it will be readily apparent as this description proceeds that the improved apparatus can be converted to form simpler or even more complicated blocks each of which comprises, one, two, four or more rows of cigarettes, as well as that the cigarettes in the adjoining rows of a block can but need not be staggered with reference to each other.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the apparatus which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 25 basically comprises a conveyor unit which may include two relatively narrow endless belts 4, 6 shown in FIG. 3 and serving to advance a series of cigarettes 2 (FIG. 4) from one or more sources (such as the cigarette making machines C1 and C2 shown in FIG. 3) along a predetermined path which is preferably located in a substantially horizontal plane, one or more packaging or other processing machines P (one such machine is shown in FIG. 3) which receive blocks of properly arrayed cigarettes 2, a collector 14 (best shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6-21) which collects cigarettes from the conveyor unit and forms successive layers 146 (FIG. 6), a removing unit including mechanical ejectors in the form of pushers 72, 73 shown, for example, in FIG. 1 or 6 which remove selected surplus cigarettes 2' (FIGS. 10 to 15) from successive layers 146 so that the remainder of each layer forms a group of rows each containing a predetermined number of cigarettes 2, a transfer unit 70 shown in FIGS. 7, 9-11 and 1315 which serves to deliver successively formed groups of rows from the collector 14 into the receptacles or cells of storing devices 152 one of which is shown in FIG. 3, advancing means (shown, for example, in FIGS. 23 and 24) for moving the storing devices 152 with reference to the transfer unit 70 so that each row of a freshly formed group is deposited on a row of the previously transferred group or on a horizontal wall of the storing device 152, and a control system which is shown in FIG. 25 and whose function is to synchronize the operation of various components so that the formation of layers 146, the removal of selected surplus cigarettes 2 from such layers, the delivery of resulting groups, the movements of successive storing devices 152, and the delivery of filled storing devices to the packaging or other process ing machine P can be carried out in a fully automatic way.

Referring to FIG. 4, the endless belts 4, 6 of the conveyor unit are trained around rollers 8, 10 and 12 as well as around additional rollers which are not shown in the drawings. One of these rollers is driven by an electric motor or by a transmission so that the belts 4, 6 advance continuously and preferably at a constant speed as long as the block forming apparatus is in actual operation.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 25, the collector 14 takes the form of a suction head or lifter whose constr-uction is similar to that of the lifter disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,190,459 to Kochalski et al. This suction head 14 comprises a series of closely adjacent parallel plate-like lifting elements 16 each having at its underside a trough-shaped pocket 18 capable of accommodating substantially one-half of a cigarette 2. Each of these pockets 18 communicates with an upwardly extending transverse suction slit 20 which is machined into the respective lifting element 16 and connects to an elongated slot 22 (see particularly FIG. 2). The slots 22 together form a continuous suction channel 24 (see FIG. 3 or 6) one end of which is connected with a suction fan 24a or another suitable suction generating device through the intermediary of a suction conduit 26. Each longitudinal end of the suction head 14 is connected with a pair of levers in a manner as shown in FIG. 2 of the US. Patent No. 3,190,459. FIGS. 4 and 5 of my present application merely show two bell crank levers 28, 30 which support the leading end of the suction head 14 and are rockable about an axis which is parallel to and is located at a level above the axis of a transversely extending horizontal shaft 36 so that their upper arms can shift the suction head up or down in order to move the pockets 18 nearer to or farther away from the plane of the upper stringers of the belts 4 and 6. The lower arms of the levers 28, 30 are connected to each other by means of a horizontal shaft 34 which is coupled to the piston rod 32 of a piston 32a (FIG. 20) reciprocable in a pneumatic cylinder 32b in a manner and at intervals to be fully described in connection with FIG. 25. The operation of the cylinder and piston unit 32-321) is synchronized with the operation of the suction head 14 in such a way that the pockets 18 are moved downwardly toward the belts 4, 6 when the transfer unit 70 is retracted upon completed delivery of a group of rows of cigarettes 2 into the storing device 152, and that the pockets 18 are thereupon moved upwardly and away from the belts 4, 6 While the mechanical ejectors 73 and/or 72 carry out the removal of selected surplus cigarettes 2' from a freshly formed layer 146. The plane in which the pockets 18 are located when the suction head 14 is moved to its lower end position can be called a collecting plane and is shown in FIG. 6. The plane in which the groups of cigarette rows are located when the suction head 14 is raised can be called a transfer plane and is shown in FIG. 10. When located in such transfer plane, the rows of cigarettes 2 register with the transfer unit 70 so that the latter can move against the adjoining ends of cigarettes and delivers them into the registering cells or receptacles of the storing device 152 by moving the cigarettes axially.

The shaft 36 is rotatable in the bell crank levers 28, 30 as clearly shown in FIG. 5 and its end portions are re ceived in suitable antifriction bearings 36a. The levers 28, 30 are rockably carried by the stationary frame 68 of the block building apparatus (see FIG. 4 or FIGS. 1621) and the frame 68 also supports the aforementioned rollers 8, 10 and 12 for the conveyor belts 4, 6. The space between the levers 28, 30 accommodates two star wheels 38, 40 and a substantially triangular trip or cam 42 which controls the operation of a pneumatic valve 48. The valve 48 controls the flow of compressed air into a conduit 142. The star wheels 38, 40 rotate the shaft 36. The trip 42 is also compelled to rotate with the shaft 36 and is engaged by one end of a helical expansion spring 44a which urges the star wheel 38 against the lever 28 to prevent uncontrolled rotation of the shaft 36.

The prongs or teeth of the star wheels 38, 40 repectively cooperate with two stationary rolls 46, 44 (see FIGS. 16 to 21) and serve to perform four different functions. First of all, these star wheels determine the upper and lower end positions of the suction head 14. Secondly, the star wheels 38, 40 cause the suction head 14 to stagger each group which contains rows of six cigarettes each with reference to the previously deposited rows of seven cigarettes each. The staggered relationship of cigarettes in adjoining rows of a block is readily observable in FIG. 22 of the drawings. The heretofore described two functions of the star wheels 38, 40 are known from the aforementioned US. Patent 3,190,459. In addition to these two functions, the star wheels 38, 40 further act to intermittently rotate the trip 42 and also to cause the suction head 14 to retain the foremost cigarette 2 when the pockets 18 accommodate a group of rows each of which is supposed to contain only six cigarettes 2. The reason for this fourth function of the wheels 38, 40 will be readily understood as the present description proceeds.

The star wheel 38 determines the lower end position of the suction head 14 and insures that the latter moves to the same level in each of its successive lower end positions. Therefore, the prongs or teeth of the star wheel 38 are of identical shape and the same holds true for the spaces or gaps between the adjoining teeth of the star wheel 38. The star wheel 40 determines the upper end position of the suction head 14 and, since the suction head must move to two upper end positions, the teeth or prongs and the gaps or spaces between the prongs on the star wheel 40 are not the same. This will be readily seen in FIGS. 5, l7, l9 and 21. It will be noted that pairs of identical spaces or gaps 40a alternate with wider spaces or gaps 40b. The arrangement is such that the difference between the two upper end positions of the suction head 14 approximates or equals the radius of a cigarette 2. The two upper end positions can be at the same level but are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the suction head 14. This brings about the aforementioned staggering of shorter rows in a block 150 with reference to the longer rows of seven cigarettes each. Each movement of the suction head 14 to one upper end position follows two successive movements of the suction head to the other upper end position. The star wheel 40 is removable and can be replaced by a differently configurated star Wheel when the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 25 is to be converted to form blocks consisting of, for example, ten, twelve or another desired number of cigarettes each.

The upper arms of the bell crank levers 28, 30 are connected to each other by a bracket 52 shown in FIG. 4. This bracket 52 is connected with one end of a helical contraction spring 54 whose other end is connected with a steel band 58 trained around a roll 56 carried by the frame 68. The band 58 is further connected with the leading end of a tiltable platform 60 which resembles a balance beam and forms part of the conveyor unit for the cigarettes 2 delivered by the upper stringers of the endless belts 4, 6. The fulcrum for the platform 60 is constituted by the shaft 62 of the roller 8. The shaft of the roller 12 is guided in a vertical slot 68a. of the frame 68 and, when held in the upper end position shown in FIG. 4, the roller 12 maintains the platform 60 in a substantially horizontal plane which includes the upper stringers of the belts 4 and 6. The roller 12 is urged upwardly by the belts 4 and 6 which are under tension and engage this roller from below.

The front end portion of the platform 60 is for-med with two transversely spaced apertures 64 for two stop pine 66 which are mounted on the frame 68. When the platform 60 is coplanar with the upper stringers of the belts 4 and 6, the stop pins 66 are retracted into the respective apertures 64 and cannot impede forward movement of the cigarettes. However, if the platform 60 is 7 tilted to assume the inclined position shown, for example, in FIG. 10, the stop pins 66 extend upwardly and beyond its upper side so that they can arrest the foremost surplus cigarette 2' which has been removed from the eighth pocket 18 by the leftmost mechanical ejector 72.

The transfer unit 70 is preferably constructed in the same way as disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,190,459 and comprises a horizontally reciprocable plunger 70a (see FIG. 10) cooperating with a plate-like tongue 70]) which supports a group of rows from below while the end face of the plunger 70a abuts against the adjoining end faces of the cigarettes and pushes them from the pockets 18 toward and into the registering receptacles or cells 164 of the storing device 152. The manner in which the transfer unit 70 delivers groups of cigarettes 2 from the suction head 14 (when the latter is moved to one of its upper end positions) to the storing device 152 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 15 of the drawings.

Since the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 25 is used to form blocks 150 of twenty cigarettes each wherein two rows contain seven cigarettes and the third row contains six cigarettes, each nth lifting element 16 of the suction head 14 must be associated with a primary mechanical ejector or pusher 72. In the illustrated embodiment the number n equals eight. In addition, the suction head 14 carries a set of secondary or auxiliary mechanical ejectors or pushers 73 which are associated with each n+1 pocket 18. In other words, each mechanical ejector or pusher 73 is immediately adjacent to and is located upstream of an ejector or pusher 72. If the star wheels 38, 40 on the shaft 36 of FIG. 5 are not called upon to perform the aforementioned fourth function, the suction head 14 preferably comprises a further auxiliary mechanical ejector 73 which is associated with the first or foremost pocket 18 adjacent to the stop pins 66. However, the arrangement which is actually shown in FIGS. 1 to 25 is normally preferred because the apparatus can utilize a redesigned suction head 14 of conventional construction.

When speaking of the leading end of a cigarette layer 146 or of the leading or foremost pocket 18, I am always referring to that cigarette or pocket which is nearest to the bell crank levers 28, 30 and to the point where the suction channel 24 is connected with the suction generating device 24a. Counting from the foremost cigarette 2 of a full layer 146, the primary ejectors 72 will remove the eighth, sixteenth, twenty-fourth etc. cigarettes 2 and the secondary ejectors 73 will remove the ninth, seventeenth, twenty-fifth etc. cigarettes. The primary ejectors 72 are actuated whenever the pockets 18 of the suction head 14 accumulate a full layer 146; however, the secondary ejectors 73 will be actuated only upon completion of the second, fifth, eighth, etc. layers 146 because the formation of a group with rows of six cigarettes 2 each (ejectors 72 and 73) is followed by the formation of two groups with rows of seven cigarettes 2 each (ejectors 72).

The ejectors 72 and 73 are movable up and down in the suction slits 20 of the associated lifting elements 16 (see particularly FIG. 2) and are respectively coupled to motion transmitting links 74, 75 best shown in FIG. 1. The links 74 are rigidly connected with a common drive shaft or rocking shaft 78, and a second drive shaft or rocking shaft 80 is rigidly connected with the links 75 for the secondary ejectors 73. The end portions of the shafts 78, 80 are rotatable in bearing brackets 76 one of which is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows that the ejectors 72 and 73 are formed with slots 82 which register with the slots 22 when the ejectors are moved to their operative (lower end) positions. In this way, the slots 82 temporarily form part of the suction channel 24 and insure that the non-ejected cigarettes 2 can remain in the corresponding pockets 18 wherein the cigarettes are held solely by suction.

The means for reciprocating the ejectors 72 and 73 comprises two pneumatic cylinders 84, 86 which are shown in FIG. 1 and are mounted on the casing of the suction head 14, The piston rod of the cylinder 84 is coupled to a motion transmitting link which is biased upwardly by a helical spring 88 and is rigidly affixed to the rocking shaft 78. The piston rod of the cylinder 86 is coupled to a second motion transmitting link 94 which is rigid with the drive shaft 80 and is biased upwardly by a helical spring 92. The springs 88 and 92 tend to maintain the ejectors 72, 73 in their upper or idle positions.

Referring now to FIG. 25, the cylinder 84 is connected with a first supply conduit 96 and the cylinder 86 is connected with a second supply conduit 98. The conduit 96 is connected to a first pneumatically controlled distributor valve and the conduit 98 is connected to a second pneumatically controlled distributor valve 138. The valve 100 is connected with a feed conduit 102 which, in turn, connects to a pressure line 104. The pressure line 104 is connected to a main pressure line 106 which receives compressed air from a compressor 106a or the like. Two control conduits 108, 110 serve to regulate the operation of the distributor valve 100 and are respectively connected to a supply conduit 112 and a normally closed valve 114, the latter being controlled by the transfer unit 70. The supply conduit 112 is connected with a pressure line 111 by means of a solenoid valve 113, and the pressure line 111 connects to the main pressure line 106. The supply conduit 112 is also connected to the pneumatic cylinder and piston unit 32-32b shown in FIG. 20 and serving to rock the bell crank levers 28, 30.

The valve 114 is actuated by the transfer unit 70 when the latter completes a working stroke and this valve thereupon causes the transfer unit to perform a return stroke, i.e., to move to the lower or retracted position 70' of FIG. 25. The valve 114 normally prevents the flow of compressed air from the main pressure line 106 to the control conduit 110. A second valve 116 is also connected to the main pressure line 106 and regulates the flow of compressed air into a supply conduit 118 which con trols the operation of advancing means for the storing device 152, such advancing means including a pneumatic cylinder and piston unit 120 and an indexing mechanism 122 shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 25, the indexing mechanism 122 is arranged to cause the storing device 152 to perform two successive short steps or increments a and thereupon a longer step or increment b (see FIG, 22).

The solenoid valve 113 is controlled by an electromagnet 124 which is connected to a source 126 of D-C current and to conductors 128, 130 leading to the contacts of a normally open switch 132. As shown in FIG. 3, the switch 132 is installed in the suction head 14 behind the trailing (rightmost) lifting element 16 and its springbiased movable contact 134 can be closed by a flap or trip 136 which is rockable on a shaft 137 and is moved into engagement with the contact 134 in response to increasing suction in the channel 24, namely, in response to such suction which develops when all of the slits 20 in the lifting elements 16 of the suction head 14 are blocked by cigarettes 2, i.e., When the suction head accommodates a complete layer 146 of cigarettes.

The supply conduit 98 for the cylinder 86 controlling the secondary mechanical ejectors 73 is connected to the aforementioned second distributor valve 138 which is further connected with a supply conduit 140 leading to the supply conduit 96 for the cylinder 84. The operation of the distributor valve 138 is regulated by compressed air admitted through control conduits 142, 144 the former of which is connected to the aforementioned valve 48 also shown in FIG. 5. The conduit 144 is connected to the control conduit 110. The valve 48 is also connected to the pressure line 104.

Referring now to FIGS. 22 to 24, the storing device 152 consists of hundred-twenty interconnected receptacles or cells 164 and comprises horizontal partitions 162 crossing vertical partitions 160. A simple calculation will reveal that, in order to properly fill a series of horizontally aligned cells 164, the suction head 14 must comprise seventy-nine pockets 18 whereby, when the transfer unit 70 is to deliver a group of ten rows with seven cigarettes 2 each, the layer 146 which comprises seventy-nine cigarettes is relieved of each ei hth surplus cigarette 2 so that seventy cigarettes remain and that each row of seven cigarettes each enters one of the horizontally aligned cells 164. When the group is to have ten rows of six cigarettes 2 each, the mechanical ejectors 72 and 73 remove from a freshly formed layer 146 a total of eighteen cigarettes 2 and the foremost pocket 18 retains its cigarette so that the transfer unit 70 delivers a total of sixty cigarettes. In FIGS. 8, 10, 12 and 14, the longer rows of seven cigarettes 2 each are denoted by numerals 148 and the shorter rows of six cigarettes each are denoted by numerals 148a. Thus, each of the blocks shown in FIG. 22 comprises two longer rows 143 and a shorter median row 148a, the cigarettes of the shorter row 148a being staggered transversely with reference to the cigarettes of the longer rows 148.

The lowermost horizontal partition 154 of the storing device 152 shown in FIG. 22 constitutes a bottom wall and receives the first group of longer rows 148 when the apparatus begins to deliver cigarettes into the storing device. The front and rear ends of the cells 164 are open so that the transfer unit can deliver groups of cigarettes through the forward ends and the mechanism (not shown) of the packaging machine P can thereupon expel blocks 150 through the rear ends of such cells. It will be noted that the volume of each cell 164 exceeds somewhat the space requirements of a completed block 150, i.e., that there remains some clearance between the top row 148 of a fully assembled block 150 and the top wall of the respective cell. Of course, the number of cells 164 in a storing device 152 may be greater or less than one hundred twenty and will depend on the number of pockets 18 in the suction head 14. inversely, the number of pockets 18 in the suction head can be selected in dependency on the type of storing devices which are used in the improved block building apparatus.

The rear edges of the horizontal partitions 162 together form a rack 166 which is best shown in FIG. 24 and cooperates with a drum-shaped pinion 16 8, the latter forming part of the aforementioned indexing mechanism 122 and serving to lower the storing device 152 by increments or distances aabaabaab for the purpose which will be readily evident by considering FIG. 22. The strong device 152 will be lowered by an increment b when the formation of a series of horizontally aligned blocks 150 is completed and when the transfer unit 76 is to deposit a group of rows 148 on the next-higher horizontal partition 162.

The rear edges 168a of the vertical partitions constitute guide ribs or projections which extend into circumferential grooves 172 of the pinion 168 and thus insure that the storing device 152 cannot move laterally during stepwise descent along the suction head 14. In order to prevent tilting of the storing device 152 about the axis of the pinion 168, its outermost vertical fittitions 156, 153 are preferably guided by suitable stationary rails 171, 173 shown in FIG. 24.

The circumferential grooves 172 of the pinion 168 intersect axially parallel horizontal grooves 172a for the rack 166 and form with the grooves 172a a pattern of teeth which serve as aligning means by insuring that the cigarettes in the blocks 150 are placed into accurate an alignment with each other. Such teeth 170 extend into the rear ends of the cells 164 and arrest the leading end faces of the cigarettes 2. The piston rod or output member 120a of the cylinder and piston unit 120 is coupled to a motion transmitting link 1201: which is connected with the shaft 168a of the pinion 168 through the intermediary of a one-Way clutch 168b so that the pinion 168 changes its angular position only when the piston rod 120a performs an upward stroke, as viewed in FIG. 24, in order to lower the storing device 152 by an increment a or b.

The position of stop pins 66 is selected in such a way that the arrested surplus cigarettes 2' on the platform 60 are in an optimum position for entry into successive pockets 18 of the suction head 14. Suction prevailing in the slit 2%) of the foremost unoccupied pocket 18 is just sufficient to lift a single cigarette. This insures that all cigarettes of a layer 146 are located in a common plane and that each such layer contains the same number of cigarettes.

A very important advantage of the improved storing device 152 is that it can accommodate any desired number of cigarette blocks 150 in a very small area and that the position of cigarettes in the blocks 150 remains unchanged during transfer of filled storing devices to one or more processing machines P or into storage. Also, the provision of a component (rack 166) directly on the storing device 152 reduces the overall dimensions of the advancing unit and simplifies the construction of the indexing mechanism 122. Moreover, and since the racks 166 on each of a supply of storing devices 152 are dimensioned in the same way, the length of increments a and b is always the same so that the blocks 158 in successive storing devices may be assembled with the same degree of accuracy. Still further, and since the partitions and/or outer walls of the storing devices 152 form part of the guide means which maintains the storing devices in optimum position for reception of groups of rows 148 and 148a, the overall dimensions of the block building apparatus are reduced to a considerable degree so that the apparatus can be accommodated in a small area between one or more producing machines C1, C2 and one or more processing machines P.

The parts 78, 84, 88, 90 and 80, 86, 92, 94, respectively constitute actuating means for the ejector-s 72 and 73 and form part of the means for removing selected surplus cigarettes 2 from the layers 146.

The operation of the block building apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 25 is as follows:

In the first operating cycle, the cylinder 32b receives compressed air from the supply conduit 118 so that the piston rod 32 moves in a direction to the left, as viewed in FIG. 20 or 25, and rocks the bell crank levers 28, 30 in a clockwise direction to move the suction head 14 to its lower end position in which the pockets 18 of the lifting elements 16 are rather closely adjacent to the upper stringers of the belts 4, 6 and to the upper side of the platform 60. The valve 116 is normally closed but is held in open position by a trip 76c of the retracted transfer unit 79 so that the supply conduit 118 remains connected with the main pressure line 106. The roller 12 is held in its upper end position so that the platform 60 is located in a horizontal plane which includes the upper stringers of the belts 4 and 6. The suction head 14 then collects the cigarettes 2 seriatim in a manner as disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,190,459 to Kochalski et .al. until the pockets 18 accommodate a full layer 146 of seventy-nine cigarettes. A fully assembled layer 146 is shown in FIGS, 6 and 7, and the corresponding position of the levers 28, 30 and suction head 14 is illustra'ted in FIG. 16. When the rearmost pocket 18 also receives a cigarette (namely, the seventy-ninth cigarette of a complete layer 146), suction in the channel 24 rises suddenly and attracts the flap 136 of FIG. 3 so that this flap turns about the shaft 137 and depresses the contact 134 to close the switch 132 and to thereby complete the circuit of the electromagnet 124. The latter causes the switch 113 to connect the pressure line 111 with the supply conduit 112 and hence with the control conduit 108 which changes the condition of the distributor valve 100. At the same time, the supply conduit 112 admits compressed air to the cylinder 32b in a sense to retract the piston 32 in a direction to the right, as viewed in FIG. 20 or 25, and to thereby move the suction head 14 to an upper end position. In its changed condition, the distributor valve 100 admits compressed air to the supply conduit 96 and hence to the cylinder 84 which causes the mechanical ejectors 72 to move downwardly while the suction head 14 moves to its upper end position. In other words, the ejection of each eighth (surplus) cigarette 2' is initiated simultaneously with upward movement of the suction head 14 and is triggered by energization of the electromagnet 124 in response to suddenly increasing suction in the channel 24 caused by the entry of the last cigarette into the rearmost pocket 18 of the suction head. In moving the ejectors 72 downwardly, the piston rod of the cylinder 84 must overcome the bias of the spring 88 and rocks the link 90, the shaft 78 and links 74. In the illustrated embodiment, each eighth cigarette 2' must be removed from the layer 146 because the vertical partitions 160 of the storing device 152 would interfere with movement of such cigarettes 2' into the cells 164. The remaining cigarettes 2 at the underside of the rising suction head 14 form a group of ten rows 148 each of which contains seven cigarettes. This is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The secondary ejectors 73 remain in their upper end positions because the suction head 14 was supposed to form a group of rows 148.

The surplus cigarettes 2 which are removed from the layer 146 by one, two or even more foremost ejectors 72 drop onto the platform 60 and roll in a direction to the left, as viewed in FIG, 10, so that the foremost surplus cigarette 2' abuts against the stop pins 66 and the remaining surplus cigarettes on the platform 60 come into abutment with the foremost surplus cigarette or with each other to form the nucleus of a stratum of cigarettes which are ready to be assembled into the next layer 146. The feature that the cigarettes 2 on the platform 60 are automatically compelled to roll toward the stop pins 66 is due to the fact that the platform is tilted to the position of FIG. 10 in response to upward movement of the suction head 14. This will be readily understood by referring again to FIG. 4 which shows that the foremost end of the platform 60 is connected to the upper arms of the levers 28, 30 by the band 58 and spring 54. When the levers 28, 30 .are rocked in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, the spring 54 pulls the band 58 and moves the plat-form 60 to inclined position so that the stop pins 66 extend upwardly and beyond the apertures 64.

The surplus cigarettes 2 which are removed from the layer 146 by the ejectors 72 located to the right of the platform 60 descent onto the belts 4 and 6 and are advanced onto the platform to move toward the cigarettes 2 which cannot move any further because the foremost cigarette a buts against the stop pins 66.

An important advantage of simultaneous admission of compressed air to the control conduit 108 and cylinder 32b is that removal of surplus cigarettes 2' by the mechanical ejectors 72 takes place simultaneously with start of upward movement of the suction head 14. This insures that the surplus cigarettes 2 descend through a very small distance and are not likely to lose tobacco particles at their ends and/or to become misaligned during rolling movement toward the stop pins 66. Also, the feature that the surplus cigarettes 2' come to a halt on the inclined platform 60, rather than on the travelling belts 4 and 6, insures that the cigarettes arrested by the stop pins 66 do not tend to pile up on top of each other. Such piling up would be likely to interfere with the formation of the next layer 146 because the cigarettes in the lower zone of a pile would not be attracted by suction prevailing in the slits 20.

When the suction head 14 carries a full group of longer rows 148, it moves to its right-hand upper end position because the stationary roll 44 enters a shallower gap 40a of the star wheel 40, this wheel being responsible for arresting the suction head in its upper end positions. Such right-hand upper end position of the suction head 14 is 12 illustrated in FIG. 17. Once the suction head 14 reaches such right-hand upper end position, the cigarettes 2 of the ten longer rows 148 are in registry with the plunger a of the transfer unit 70 (FIG. 10) which receives an impulse from a suitable control element (not shown but fully disclosed in the U.S. Patent 3,190,459) and moves from the position of FIG. 9 toward and beyond the position of FIG. 11 to deliver the ten longer rows 148 onto the bottom wall 154 of an empty storing device 152. The delivery of longer rows 148 into the lowermost series of horizontally aligned cells 164 of the storing device 152 is assisted by a preferably but not necessarily stationary supporting rail 71 (see FIGS. 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15) which is located between the front side of the storing device and the conveyor unit.

As the plunger 7 0a of the transfer unit 70 begins to move the cigarettes 2 axially and lengthwise of the corresponding pockets 18, suction in the channel 24 collapses because the slits 21) are free to communicate with the atmosphere Therefore, the spring-biased movable contact 134 of the switch 132 moves the flap 136 (FIG. 3) to idle position and the electromagnet 124 is deenergized to close the solenoid valve 113. This terminates the admission of compressed air to the supply conduit 112. When the transfer unit 70 reaches its foremost position (namely, the upper position shown in FIG. 25 the trip 70c on its plunger 70a opens the valve 114 which connects the control conduit 110 with the main pressure line 106 whereby the compressed air flowing into the line 110 changes the condition of the distributor valve so that the latter ceases to admit air to the supply conduit 96. The spring 88 (FIG. 1) expands and causes the shaft 78 to retract the primary ejectors 72 to their upper end positions. The valve 100 also connects the supply conduit 96 with the atmosphere so that compressed air is free to escape from the cylinder 84 in response to expansion of the spring 88.

The valve 114 also admits compressed air to a suitable pneumatic cylinder (not shown) which causes the transfer unit 70 to return to the retracted position 70' of FIG. 25. 'During such return stroke of the transfer unit 70, the trip 70c opens the valve 116 which connects the main pressure line 106 with the supply conduit 118. The conduit 118 admits compressed air to the cylinder 32b so that the latter expels its piston rod 32 and returns the suction head 14 to the lower end position. Such lower end position of the suction head 14 is shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 18, and the latter then begins to collect a fresh layer 146 of cigarettes 2 including such cigarettes which are held against further movement by the stop pins 66. It is to be noted that, while the suction prevailing in the channel 24 of the suction head 14 collapses as soon as the plunger 70a begins to move the rows 148 out of the pockets 18 of the lifting elements 16, the length of the slits 20 is selected in such a way that the leading ends of the cigarettes moving toward the storing device 152 advance beyond the supporting rail 71 before the collapse of suction in the channel 24 takes place. The trailing ends of the axially moving cigarettes in the rows 148 are supported by the tongue 70b of the transfer unit 70 so that the collapse of suction in the channel 24 cannot result in descent of rows 14% onto the conveyor unit. On the other hand, suction prevailing in the foremost slit 20 is strong enough to attract the cigarette 2 which abuts against the stop pins 66 so that the suction head 14 can start with the collection of a fresh layer 146 despite the fact that suction in the channel 24 is practically zero. As soon as the leading cigarette enters the leftmost pocket 18, suction prevailing in the next slit 26 is strong enough to attract the next cigaree, and so forth. This mode of assembling layers 146 by lifting the cigarettes seriatim off a conveyor unit is fully described and claimed in the U.S. Patent No. 3,190,459.

The platform 64) return into the plane of the upper stringers of the belts 4, 6 not later than at the time the suction head 14 returns to its lower end position, Such return movement of the platform 60 is caused by the roller 12 which moves upwardly in response to tension in the belts 4, 6 as soon as the spring 54 dissipates a certain amount of energy. The stop pins 66 cease to extend beyond the upper side of the platform 60.

The aforementioned valve 116 (which is opened by the trip 70c when the transfer unit moves toward and reassumes its retracted position '70) also enables the supply conduit 118 to admit compressed air to the cylinder and piston unit 120 of the advancing means for the storing device 152. The unit 120 operates the indexing mechanism 122 which in turn changes the angular position of the pinion 168 in a manner as fully described hereinbefore in connection with FIGS. 23 and 24. One horizontal row of teeth 170 on the pinion 168 extends into the rear ends of the lowermost horizontal series of cells 164 so that such teeth 170 serve as stops or aligning means and insure that all of the cigarettes of the rows 148 penetrate into the respective cells 164 to exactly the same extent. When the transfer unit 70 has completed the delivery of a group of longer row 148, the indexing mechanism 122 lowers the storing device 152 by a short increment a which approximates the radius of a cigarette. The first cycle in the formation of a series of ten horizontally aligned blocks 150 is now completed and the apparatus is ready to form a group of shorter rows 148a.

In the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 25, the star wheels 38, 40 cooperate with the fixed rolls 46, 44 to intermittently rotate the shaft 36 and hence the cam or trip 42. his holds true for all such block building apparatus wherein the suction head 14 or an analogous collector moves up and down to respectively move groups of cigarette rows into a transfer plane and to thereupon return to the collecting plane. The shaft 36 is rotated by the star wheels 38, 40 through such increments, and the angular position of the three tips on the cam 42 with reference to the shaft 36 is such that the cam 42 actuates the valve 48 during each third operating cycle of the apparatus, namely, when the suction head 14 is to retain a group of ten shorter cigarette rows 148a. The cam 42 actuates the valve 48 when the suction head 14 returns to its lower end position upon completed transfer of a first, fourth, seventh, etc. group of cigarette rows, always upon completed transfer of a group which contains ten longer rows 148 of course, the valve 48 and the cam 42 can be omitted or temporarily inactivated if the apparatus is to assemble simpler blocks consisting of two or more superimposed rows each containing the same number of cigarettes.

Referring again to the description of the operation of my apparatus, the bottom wall 154 is assumed to support a group of longer rows 148 whereby each such longer row fills the lower zone of the corresponding cell 164 and constitutes the lowermost row of a partially completed block 150. This means that the apparatus must now form a group of shorter rows 148a and that the transfer unit 70 must thereupon deliver such shorter rows 148a on top of the previously desposited longer rows 148 by simultaneously staggering the cigarettes of the shorter rows 148a so that such cigarettes will come to rest in the gaps between the cigarettes of the longer rows 148 therebelow. As in the previously described cycle, the pockets 18 of the suction head 14 first accumulate a complete layer 146 of cigarettes which include cigarettes 2 that were removed from the previously formed layer 146 plus a requisite number of cigarettes 2 delivered by the belts 4 and 6. Upon completed formation of the second layer 146, suction in the channel 24 again rises suddenly and the flap 136 closes the switch 132 to complete the circuit of the electromagnet 124 in the above described manner so that the solenoid valve 113 admits compressed air to the supply conduit 112 which, in turn, causes the distributor valve 100 to admit compressed air from the feed conduit 102 to the supply conduit 96 and thence to the cylinder 84 which latter causes the primary ejectors 72 to remove from the freshly formed layer 146 each eighth cigarette 2' while the suction head 14 moves toward its upper end position. Compressed air also flows from the supply conduit 96 into the supply conduit 140. The valve 48 is being held in open position by the cam 42 and admits compressed air from the pressure line 104- to the control conduit 142 so that the latter changes the condition of the second distributor valve 138 which then admits compressed air from the supply conduit 140 to the supply conduit 98. Therefore, the cylinder 86 receives compressed air and causes the shaft to move the secondary ejectors 73 to their operative positions and to thus expel from the freshly formed layer 146 the ninth, seventeenth, twenty-fifth, etc. cigarette 2'. The corresponding position of the star wheel 38, cam 42, valve 48 and shaft 36 is illustrated in FIG. 20. FIG. 12 shows a group of shorter rows 148a which are obtained in response to movement of ejectors 72 and 73 to their lower end positions. FIG. 12 also shows that the leftmost row 148a actually contains seven cigarettes because the leftmost ejector 72 removes the eighth and the leftmost ejector 73 removes the ninth cigarette. Therefore, the cigarette shown in the leftmost pocket 18 of FIG. 12 must be prevented from entering the cell 164 in the lower left-hand corner of the storing device 152 shown in FIG. 22.

When the valve 113 is opened in response to energization of the solenoid 124 (sudden rise of suction in the channel 24- upon completed formation of the second layer 146), the suction head 14 begins to move upwardly because the supply conduit 112 is connected with the pressure line 111. The transfer unit 70 has left its retracted position 70 so that the trip 78c releases the valve 116 and the latter connected the supply conduit 118 with the atmosphere. The suction head 14 with a group of shorter rows 148a moves to its left-hand upper end position whereby the leftmost cigarette of the leftmost row 148a moves beyond the lateral edge of the plunger 70a and is not transferred into the storing device 152. The difference beween the lefthand and right-hand upper end positions of the suction head 14 equals the radius of a cigarette which suffices to bring about staggered relationship between the cigarettes of each lower row 148 and the respective upper row 14811 in the cells 164 of the storing device 152. The left-hand upper end position of the suction head 14 is determined by the roll 44 (see FIG. 21) which enters a deeper gap 4% of the star wheel 40.

The transfer unit 70 then performs a working stroke in the previously described manner and delivers ten shorter rows 148a into the lowermost row of cells 164 in the storing device 152. Such shorter rows 148a come to rest on the longer rows 148 but each cigarette of a shorter row 148a is staggered with reference to the adjoining two cigarettes of the associated longer row 148. The aforementioned leftmost cigarette in the leading pocket 18 is not transferred and returns with the suction head 14 toward the platform 60 to form the leftmost cigarette of the next layer 146. The remainder of the second working cycle is carried out in the same way as described in connection with the first cycle. It is to be noted that, when the condition of the distributor valve is changed so that this valve connects the supply conduit 96 with the atmosphere and allows the spring 88 to retract the primary ejectors 72 to their upper end positions, the condition of the second distributor valve 138 is also changed back to normal so that the supply conduit 98 is connected with the atmosphere and the spring 92 returns the secondary ejectors 73 to their raised or idle positions. This is caused by the valve 114 which is opened by the trip 700 when the transfer unit 70 completes its working stroke so that the control conduit resets the valve and the control conduit 144 (connected with the conduit 110) resets the valve 138. As the suction head 14 moves to its lower end position, the star wheel 38 is turned by the fixed roll 46 to change the angular position of the shaft 36 and to move the leftmost tip of the cam 42 away from engagement with the valve 48. This valve then seals the control conduit 142 from the pressure line 104. The transfer unit 70 15 returns toward the retracted position 70' and the trip 70c opens the valve 116 to admit compressed air to the supply conduit 118 which causes the suction head 14 to move downwardly and which also causes the cylinder and piston unit 120 to actuate the indexing mechanism 122 which lowers the storing device 152 by an increment a.

The third cycle during which the transfer unit 70 delivers to the series of lowermost cells 164 the second group of longer cigarette rows 148 is identical with the first cycle. The sole difierence is that, upon completion of the third cycle, the indexing mechanism 122 lowers the storing device 152 by a longer increment b to make sure that the next group of longer rows 148 will be delivered onto the lowermost horizontal partition 162. The fourth cycle is also identical with the first cycle and results in the formation of the lower rows 148 of the second row of blocks 150 in the next-to-the-lowermost row of cells 164 in the storing device 152. During the fifth cycle, the cam 42 again opens the valve 48 so that the suction head 14- retains a group of shorter rows 148a. The sixth cycle is identical with the third cycle, and so on until the storing device 152 is filled with blocks 150 and is ready for delivery to the packaging machine P. Prior to completion of the uppermost row of blocks 150, the operator or an automatic feed system moves an empty storing device 152 to requisite position above the nearly filled storing device so that the operation of the apparatus need not be interrupted at all when a storing device 152 is filled. The empty storing device is moved to requisite position for admission of a first group of longer rows 148 into its lowermost cells 164 when the indexing mechanism 122 causes the freshly filled storing device to advance by a longer step 1). Thus, such longer step b sufiices to allow for removal of a filled storing device simultaneously with admission of an empty storing device.

Instead of being immediately delivered to the packaging or another processing machine P, freshly filled storing devices 152 may be introduced into a suitable magazine from which they are removed seriatim to be delivered to that one of a series of packaging machines which requires a fresh supply of blocks 150. A suitable system of conveyors for delivering filled storing devices to one or more packaging machines is disclosed in the copending applications Ser. Nos. 500,988 and 501,775 of David et al. which are assigned to the same assignee. If the filled storing devices 152 are fed to a packaging machine having a single block-receiving track, each filled storing device must be moved stepwise in a horizontal and vertical direction so that each of its blocks 150 is moved into registry with the single track and is ejected from the respective cell 164 for entry into the packaging machine proper. Such stepwise placing of blocks 150 into registry with a single track can be carried out in such a way that a series of ten horizontal steps is followed by a vertical step, then by ten horizontal steps, again by a vertical step, etc., or vice versa, depending upon whether the designer wishes to evacuate vertical or horizontal rows of blocks.

It is equally possible to simultaneously expel from a filled storing device 152 a complete horizontal or vertical row of blocks 150 and to arrange the thus expelled blocks 150 in a single file, for example, by resorting to a conventional endless conveyor which carries a complete annulus of block-receiving cells. The thus arrayed blocks which form a single file are then admitted seriatum to the packaging machine.

Alternatively, blocks 150 removed from a filled storing device 152 can meet the requirements of several packaging machines. For example, a filled storing device can serve as a source of blocks 150 for five twin tracks packaging machines. The filled storing device is then simply lowered in stepwise fashion so that each horizontal row of blocks 150 is placed into registry with the ten tracks of such packaging machines. The ejecting mechanism (not shown) which is used to expel complete blocks 150 from a storing device 152 then comprises a row of ten plungers each of which delivers blocks to a different track.

It is also to be noted that the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 25 is susceptible of many further modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, the suction head 14 may be modified in a manner as will be described in connection with FIGS. 26-28 and the indexing mechanism for storing devices 152 may be of the type to be described in connection with FIGS. 29-32. Furthermore, instead of moving the suction head 14 to two dilferent upper end positions, the leftmost cigarette in each third layer 146 may be caused to remain in the corresponding pocket 18 by combining the transfer unit '70 with a suitable programming device which causes the plunger 70a to move laterally during each third cycle of the operation. As stated before, the construction and operation of the apparatus will be much simpler if the cigarettes in the superimposed rows of a block need not be staggered with reference to each other, for example, when each block contains only two rows of cigarettes and when each such row contains the same number of cigarettes. The apparatus can also be used to form blocks each of which actually consists of a single row of cigarettes.

FIGS. 26 to 28 illustrate a portion of a collector or suction head 174 which is provided with pneumatic ejectors 196. The suction head 176 comprises a series of adjoining lifting elements 176 provided with cigarette receiving pockets 178 and having transversely extending elongated slots 192 which together form a suction channel corresponding to the aforementioned suction channel 24. Each slot 192 communicates with the respective pocket 178 through three suction bores 194 whose upper end portions diverge conically upwardly toward the suction channel 190.

Each eighth and ninth lifting element 176 is associated with a pneumatic ejector 196 whereby the ejectors which remove cigarettes 2 from the pockets 178 of the eighth, sixteenth, etc. lifting elements 176 constitute the primary ejectors. The remaining ejectors 196 constitute the secondary or auxiliary ejectors. Each ejector 196 comprises a flat rectangular housing or casing 196a whose open lower end is sealingly afiixed to the top portion of the respective lifting element 176. Each casing 196a accommodates two internal end walls or partitions 198 which define with the outer end walls 1960 two vertically downwardly extending passages 19612. The partitions 198 and the side walls 200 of each casing 196a together form a flat rectangular cylinder having afixed bottom wall 202 and accommodating a vertically reciprocable pistion 204 of rectangular cross-sectional outline. The piston 204 carries three downwardly extending ejector nozzles or tubes 206 which are slidable in registering bores of the bottom wall 202 and in vertical bores 208 of the respective lifting element 176 and whose conical sealing portions 212 can enter the conical portions of the suction bores 194 (see FIG. 28). The pistons 204 are sealingly received in the respective rectangular cylinders and are biased upwardly by sets of helical return springs 216 which tend to maintain the ejector nozzles 206 in the upper end positions shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. Each ejector nozzle 206 is formed with two coaxial orifices 210 which are normally located at a level above the bottom wall 202 (see FIG. 26) but move to a level below the bottom wall 202 when the piston 204 is caused to perform a downward stroke and to assume the lower end position of FIG. 28. The orifices 210 then communicate with the passages 196i) and can receive compressed air from a suppy conduit 214 which is connected to a distributor valve 214a which latter, in turn, is connected to an air compressor 21417 or an analogous source of compressed air. The valve 214a is actuated in synchronism with movements of the suction head 174. A suitable stop (not shown) is provided in each ejector 196 to arrest the respective piston 204 in the upper end position.

The operation of the structure shown in FIGS. 26 to 28 is as follows:

The suction head 174 accumulates layers 146 of cigarettes 2 in the same way as described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 25. When the suction head is to retain a group of longer cigarette rows 148 and when the flap 136 (not shown in FIGS. 26 to 28) causes the solenoid valve 113 to bring about upward movement of the suction head, the valve 214a for each primary pneumatic ejector 196 is opened in automatic response to upward movement of the suction head whereby the corresponding supply conduit 214 admits compressed air into the associated casing 196a to move the piston 204 downwardly, i.e., against the bias of the springs 216. The piston 204 then moves from the position of FIG. 26 or 27 to that of FIG. 28 and moves to conical sealing portions 212 of its nozzles 206 into the conically diverging upper end portions of the registering suction bores 194. The conduit 214 also admits compressed air into the passages 19Gb and hence into the orifices 210 which are then located at a level below the bottom wall 202 whereby the jets of air issuing from the nozzles 206 eject surplus cigarettes from the eighth, sixteenth, etc. pockets 178 and the suction head 174 retains only a group of longer cigarette rows 148. The nozzles 206 prevent entry of compressed air from the passages 196b into the suction channel 190.

When the ejection of each surplus cigarette is cornpleted the valves 214a of the primary ejectors 196 are closed, for example, by stationary trips placed adjacent to the path of the upwardly moving suction head 174, so that the supply conduits 214 of the primary ejectors 196 are connected to the atmosphere and the springs 216 are free to expand in order to return the pistons 204 to the upper end positions shown in FIGS. 26 and 27.

When the suction head 174 is to assemble a group of shorter cigarette rows 148a, the valves 214a for the secondary ejectors 196 also admit compressed air into the respective cylinders so that each piston 204 performs a working stroke and ejects the surplus cigarette from the respective pocket 178.

The pneumatic ejectors 196 are functional equivalents of the mechanical ejectors 72, 73. The mechanical ejectors and the means for transmitting motion thereto occupy more room than but need not be constructed with the same degree of precision as pneumatic ejectors.

Referring finally to FIGS. 29 to 32, there is shown a modified advancing unit which can be utilized as a substitute for the advancing unit of FIGS. 23 and 24. This advancing unit again comprises a pneumatic cylinder and piston unit 220 and a different indexing mechanism 222 which transmits stepwise rotary motion to a pinion 228 corresponding to the aforementioned pinion 168 of FIGS. 23 and 24. The pinion 228 comprises aligning teeth 274 disposed between circumferential grooves 276 and axially parallel grooves 276a. The grooves 276 serve to guide the rear edges 1600 of a storing device 152 (not shown in FIGS. 29 to 32) and the grooves 276a receive the teeth of the rack 166.

The cylinder and piston unit 220 serves to operate the indexing mechanism 222 and comprises a cylinder 230 which is articulately connected with the casing 234 of the indexing mechanism by a pivot pin 236 shown in FIG. 30. The piston rod or output-member 232 of the unit 220 is articulately connected to a motion transmitting link 238 which is aflixed to a shaft 240, the latter being journalled in the casing 234 and being rigidly connected with a carrier 242 (see FIG. 31) for the pivot pin 244 of a pawl 246. The pawl 246 cooperates with a first ratchet wheel 248 which is rotatable on the shaft 240 and is rigidly connected with an immediately adjacent second ratchet wheel 250 and with a gear 252, i.e., the parts 248, 250 and 252 are rotatable on the shaft 240 as a unit. The second ratchet wheel 250 cooperates with a second pawl 254 which is rockable on a fixed pin 256 and is permanently biased by a helical spring 258 one end of which 18 is anchored in the casing 234. The pawl 254 holds the ratchet wheel 250 against rotation in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 31.

The gear 252 meshes with a smaller gear 260 on a shaft 262 which is rotatable in antifriction bearings 264, 266 provided in the casing 234. This shaft 260 is rigid with the gear 260 and further carries a cam 224 having a specially configurated circumferential cam groove 268 whose function will be described in connection with the diagram of FIG. 32. The groove 268 receives conical motion transmitting rollers 270 provided on a disk 226 which is aflixed to a shaft 272 for the pinion 228. The shaft 272 is also journalled in the casing 234 and is rigid with the pinion 228.

The curve 282 of FIG. 32 illustrates in developed view the configuration of the cam groove 268 in the cam 224. This curve comprises three parallel sections or zones u, v, w which are located in planes extending at right angles to the axis of the shaft 262 and are respectively spaced from each other by distances or increments a, b, a whereby the distance b exceeds a distance a because the indexing mechanism 222 of FIGS. 29-32 is assumed to bring about such stepwise movements of the storing device 152 as were described in connection with FIG. 22. The zones or sections x, y, z of the curve 282 are inclined with reference to the sections u, v w and, when tracked by the rollers 270 of the disk 226, cause the storing device 152 (whose rack 166 meshes with the pinion 228) to respectively descend by increments a, a and b. When the rollers 270 of the disk 226 track the sections it, v and w ofthe curve 282, the rack 228 is a standstill; when the rollers 270 track the section at or y, the pinion 228 will perform a relatively small angular movement to lower the storing device 152 by an increment a; and the storing device 152 will descend by a longer increment b when the rollers 270 track the section 2 of the curve 282, i.e., the corresponding section of the circumferential groove 268 of the cam 224.

The advancing unit of FIGS. 29 to 32 is used in an apparatus which assembles blocks 150 of twenty cigarettes each and wherein each block 150 consists of two longer outer rows 148 and a shorter median row 148a. When the suction head 14 or 174 completes the collection of a layer 146 and the associated mechanical or pneumatic ejectors remove each eighth surplus cigarette 2, the transfer unit delivers a group of longer rows 148 into the registering receptacles or cells 164 of the storing device 152. Instead of delivering rows 148 or 148a into a storing device 152, the transfer unit 70 can also be used to deliver such rows into the cells or compartments of an intermittently moving endless conveyor of the type disclosed, for example, in the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 501,769 of Bardenhagen. When the transfer unit 70 performs a return stroke, it actuates a valve which corresponds to the valve 116 of FIG. 25 and causes admission of compressed air to the lower chamber of the cylinder 230 so that the piston rod 232 moves upwardly as indicated by the arrow 278 in FIG. 30. On completion of its return stroke, the transfer unit 70' actuates another valve '(not shown) which admits compressed air to the upper chamber of the cylinder 230 so that the piston rod 232 performs a downward stroke as indicated by the arrow 280 in FIG. 30. The downward stroke of the piston rod 232 is an ineffective stroke because the gear 252 rotates the gear 260 and hence the shaft 262 only when the piston rod 232 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 278. Each working (upward) stroke of the piston rod 232 results in counterclockwise angular displacement of the ratchet wheel 248, as viewed in FIG. 31. The wheel 248 rotates the wheel 250 and the gear 252 whereby the latter rotates the gear 260, shaft 262 and cam 224. Each angular displacement of the ratchet wheel 248 and gear train 252, 260 is the same because the working strokes of the piston rod 232 are of identical length. The ratchet wheel 250 and its pawl 254 prevent clockwise rotation of the gear 252 so that, when the piston rod 232 moves downwardly, the pallet of the pawl 246 merely rides over one tooth flank of the associated ratchet wheel 248. The ratio of the gear train 252, 260 is selected in such a way that the disk 226 can be rotated through angles of required magnitude. Such rotation of the disk 226 (and of the pinion 228) is caused by the conical rollers 270 which travel in the cam groove 26 8 of the cam 224. The rollers 270 will track the cam groove sections x and y during the first and second cycles and the section 2 during the third and last cycle in the formation of a row of blocks 150. This will cause the storing device 152 to descend by increments a, a and b whereby the increment b sutfices to place one of the horizontal partitions 162 into position to receive a group of longer rows 148. As stated hereinbefore, the length of increments a at most equals the diameter of a cigarette 2 but is normally less because the cigarettes in adjoining superimposed rows are staggered With reference to each other. The increments b are longer and their exact length will depend on the thickness of partitions 162 as well as on the desired clearance between the top row 148 of a finished block 150 and the partition 162 thereabove.

The parts 238, 240, 242, 244, 246, 248 together constitute a one-way clutch which rotates the gear 252 through angular distances of identical magnitude in response to reciprocation of the piston rod 232. The gears 252, 260 constitute a step-down transmission for the shaft 262 and the parts 250, 254, 256, 258 together constitute a device for holding the pinion 228 against rotation in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 29.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characterstics of the generic and specific aspects of my contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be compre- [bended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for assembling blocks consisting of stacked rows of cigarettes or analogous rod-shaped articles, comprising conveyor means for advancing the articles from at least one source; collector means for assembling the thus conveyed articles into a succession of layers each of which contains a predetermined number of closely adjacent parallel articles; removing means for removing selected articles from successively collected layers so that the remainder of each such layer constitutes a group of articles forming at least two rows; a plurality of receptacles adjacent to said collector means; transfer means for delivering said remaining groups of articles from said collector means to said receptacles; and advancing means for effecting relative movement between said receptacles and said transfer means subsequent to delivery of a group of articles so that each receptacle receives at least two superimposed rows of articles.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conveyor means is arranged to advance articles sideways in a first predetermined path and said collector means is arranged to remove articles seriatim and sideways from said first path into a second predetermined path, said removing means comprising ejector means for returning said selected articles from said second path into said first path and said transfer means comprising means for delivering said groups of articles from said collector means in the axial direction of the respective articles.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said collector means comprises a suction head having a series of pockets each arranged to receive an article from said conveyor means, said removing means comprising ejectors operative to expel articles from selected pockets of said suction head so that the articles remaining in the pockets form a group of articles.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising control means for operating said advancing means in synchronism with said transfer means.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising control means for operating said transfer means in synchronism with said collector means.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said collector means comprises a suction head having a series of pockets each arranged to receive an article from said conveyor means so that the articles in said pockets form a layer, and means for moving said suction head between a first position nearer to and a second position more distant from said conveyor means, said removing means comprising ejectors operative to expel articles from selected pockets of said suction head and said transfer means being arranged to remove groups of articles from said pockets in the second position of said suction head.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said collector means comprises a suction head having a series of pockets each arranged to receive an article from said conveyor means so that the articles in said pockets form a layer, said removing means comprising primary mechanical ejectors associated with each n-th pocket of said series and actuating means for moving said primary ejectors with reference to the associated pockets to thus expel articles from such pockets back into said conveyor means.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of said primary ejectors comprises a pusher movable into and away from the associated pocket and wherein said actuating means comprises a single shaft operatively connected with each of said pushers.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said removing means further comprises secondary mechanical ejectors associated with selected pockets of said series and second actuating means for moving said secondary ejectors with reference to the respective pockets to thus expel articles from such pockets onto said conveyor means.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of said mechanical ejectors comprises a pusher movable into and away from the respective pocket and wherein each of said actuating means comprises a single shaft operatively connected with the respective pushers.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said collector means comprises a suction head having a series of pockets each arranged to receive an article from said conveyor means so that the articles in said pockets together form a layer, said removing means comprising pneumatic ejectors associated with selected pockets and arranged to expel articles from such pockets back onto said conveyor means.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein said removing means further comprises a source of compressed fluid and means for intermittently connecting said source of fluid with said ejectors, each of said ejectors comprising nozzle means for directing at least one blast of compressed fluid against an article in the associated pocket.

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receptacles together form a multi-cell storing device and wherein said advancing means comprises a rack provided on said storing device and intermittently driven pinion means meshing with said rack.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein said advancing means further comprises indexing means for said pinion means and control means for operating said indexing means in synchronism with said transfer means.

15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising guide means for said storing device.

16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein said guide means comprises at least one elongated pr jection 21 and at least one groove respectively provided on said storing device and on said pinion means, said projection extending into said groove.

17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising aligning means for aligning the superimposed rows of articles in said receptacles.

18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein each of said receptacles is provided with two open sides disposed opposite each other and said transfer means is arranged to deliver rows of articles thr ugh one of said open sides, said aligning means being adjacent to the other open sides of said receptacles.

19. Apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein said aligning means is provided on said advancing means.

20. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receptacles together form a storing device and said advancing means is arranged to move said storing device stepwise with reference to said transfer means, said advancing means comprising a rack and pinion drive for moving said storing device, a cylinder and piston unit having a reciprocable output member and one-way clutch means interposed between said output member and said drive for intermittently rotating the pinion of said drive in a predetermined direction in response to reciprocation of said output member.

21. Apparatus as set forth in claim 20, further comprising a transmission interposed between said clutch and said pinion.

22. Apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein the rack of said drive is rigid with said storing device.

23. Apparatus as set forth in claim 20, further comprising means for holding the pinion of said drive against rotation counter to said predetermined direction.

24. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conveyor means comprises at least one endless belt having a stretch arranged to advance the articles sideways to said collector means and a platform located downstream of said stretch and tiltable between a substantially horizontal and an inclined posit-ion so that articles delivered by said stretch onto the platform in the inclined position thereof are caused to roll by gravity.

25. Apparatus as set forth in claim 24, wherein said collector means comprises a suction head having a series of pockets located above said stretch and said platform and each arranged to receive an article from said conveyor means, a suction generating device connected with said pockets, and means for moving said suction head between a first position nearer to and a second position more distant from said stretch and said platform.

26. Apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising means for respectively moving said platform to said horizontal and inclined positions in response to movement of said suction head to said first and second positions.

27. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein said pockets include a foremost pocket located above said platform and nearest to said suction generating device.

28. Apparatus as set forth in claim 26, wherein the means for moving said platform comprises a mechanical connection between said platform and said suction head.

29. Apparatus as set forth in claim 28, wherein the means for moving said suction head comprises rockable lever means and the means for moving said platform is operatively connected with said lever means.

30. Apparatus as set forth in claim 25, further comprising stop means for arresting the foremost one of the articles which roll along said platform when the latter is moved to inclined position, the articles on said platform also including the articles removed from a layer by said removing means.

31. Apparatus as set forth in claim 30, wherein said platform has at least one aperture and said stop means comprises a fixed project-ion extending upwardly and beyond said aperture and into the pathway of the foremost rolling article when the platform is moved to said inclined position.

32. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for staggering the articles of an upper row with reference to the articles in the row therebelow.

33. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each block contains two longer rows of seven articles each and a median row of six articles, and further comprising means for staggering the articles of each median row with reference to the remaining articles of said blocks.

34. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said receptacles comprises a first set of spaced parallel walls and a second set of spaced parallel walls intersecting the walls of said first set and defining therewith a plurality of block-receiving cells.

35. Apparatus as set forth in claim 34, wherein the walls of one of said sets are horizontal and the walls of the other set are vertical so that said cells form a series of superimposed horizontal rows.

36. Apparatus as set forth in claim 34, wherein each of said cells has an open front end and an open rear end registering with the respective front end so that the rodshaped articles may be admitted through one of said ends and that the other ends may accommodate aligning means for the thus admitted rod-shaped articles.

37. Apparatus as set forth in claim 34, wherein one wall of one of said sets constitutes a substantially horizontal bottom wall and two outermost walls of the other set constitute two substantially vertical side walls of the respective receptacle.

38. Apparatus as set forth in claim 34, wherein said cells are disposed in intersecting horizontal and vertical rows and wherein each of said horizontal rows contains the same predetermined number of cells.

39. Apparatus as set forth in claim 34, wherein portions of the walls of one of said sets form a rack adapted to mesh with a pinion of an indexing mechanism for effecting stepwise movements of said receptacles, said indexing mechanism forming part of said advancing means.

40. Apparatus as set forth in claim 34, wherein portions of the walls of one of said sets constitute guide means for guiding the respective receptacle during stepwise movements effected by an indexing mechanism of said advancing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,190,459 6/1965 Kochalski et al. 19820 XR EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 53-l48 

